The present invention relates generally to building construction implements, and more particularly to a new and improved washer implement for attaching insulation panels to underlying structural substrates.
In connection with the erection of building structures, insulation panels are often attached to underlying structural substrates. The insulation panels are adapted to be fixedly secured to the underlying structural substrates by means of suitable attachment devices, such as, for example, specially configured attachment implements comprising washer plates, which overly portions of the insulation panels and which are, in turn, fixedly secured to the underlying structural substrate by means of suitable mechanical fasteners, such as, for example, nails or screws which may be dispensed by means of a suitable power tool. More particularly, the attachment implement usually has a washer plate portion which comprises a radially outwardly extending flanged region which therefore comprises a relatively large surface area, and the attachment implement is mounted upon the insulation panel surface which is disposed opposite that surface of the insulation panel which is disposed in contact with the underlying structural substrate whereupon the fasteners may then be driven through the attachment implement and the insulation panel so as to fixedly secure the attachment implement and the insulation plate to the underlying structural substrate. Often, the insulation panels have substantial or significant thickness dimensions, and when the attachment implement is to be secured to the underlying structural substrate so as to fixedly mount a particular insulation panel upon the underlying structural substrate, it is desired, depending upon the thickness dimension of the particular insulation panel, that the attachment implement be applied with a sufficient amount of force whereby the outer surface portion of the washer plate of the attachment implement will be embedded within the insulation panel so as to be disposed flush with the outer surface portion of the insulation panel or at a level which is recessed or beneath the outer surface portion of the insulation panel. In this manner, a finishing coating can be applied over the washer plate of the attachment implement and the insulation panel so as to provide the building wall with a smooth, uniform, and effectively seamless finished surface appearance.
An attachment implement which satisfactorily meets the aforenoted requirements and criteria is disclosed within U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,272 which issued to Olvera et al. on Mar. 4, 1997. As disclosed within FIG. 1 of the present patent application drawings, which corresponds to FIG. 7 of the aforenoted United States Patent, the patented attachment implement is designated at 1 and is adapted to secure, for example, an insulation panel 57 to an underlying building substrate 59. More particularly, the attachment implement 1 is constructed as a tubular piece which is seen to comprise a radially outwardly extending washer plate 7. The attachment implement 1 is provided with a central opening for receiving a nail fastener 77, and the washer plate 7 is provided with a plurality of circumferentially spaced apertures 9. The attachment implement 1 further comprises a tubular member 11 which, in turn, comprises four sections 13,15,17,19 arranged in a serial manner along the axis 3 of the implement 1.
The first section 13 of the tubular member 11 includes an annular wall member 21, a radially inwardly projecting annular base portion 24, and a plurality of flexible fingers 47 for covering the nail fastener 77 when the fastener 77 has been installed. The wall member 21, base portion 24, and fingers 47 serve to define an annular chamber 51 within which a pilot portion of a power tool is adapted to be disposed so as to be capable of mounting or fixing the attachment implement 1 to the underlying building substrate 59 so as to, in turn, mount the insulation panel 57 upon the underlying substrate 59. The second section 15 of the attachment implement 1 serves to house or confine a nail collating ring 79, the third section 17 of the attachment implement 1 serves to define an axial passage 31 for guiding insertion of the nail fastener 77, and the fourth section 19 of the attachment implement 1 serves to actually mount the attachment implement 1 upon the underlying substrate 59. When the attachment implement 1 is fixedly mounted upon the underlying substrate 59 so as to, in turn, fixedly secure the insulation panel 57 to the underlying substrate 59, the coating material 81 can then be applied over the attachment implement 1 and the insulation panel 57 so as to form the uniform seamless outer wall surface. It is also seen that some of the coating material 81 is deposited within the circumferentially arranged apertures 9 of the washer plate 7 which serves to provide additional adhesion of the coating material 81 to the insulation panel 57.
While the aforenoted attachment implement 1 has been quite satisfactory and commercially successful in connection with the installation of different insulation panels having different thickness dimensions, newly fabricated insulation panels, having different thickness dimensions and density characteristics than those of the insulation panels previously used in the industry and as disclosed within the aforenoted United States Patent, are currently being used within the industry. For example, while the aforenoted previously used insulation panels were fabricated, for example, from expanded polystyrene (EPS), which is conventionally or commonly known as STYROFOAM(copyright), other insulation panels are currently being used, because of enhanced insulating properties, is fabricated from polyisocyanurate and extruded polystyrene which renders the fabricated insulation panels thinner and denser. In addition, a suitable membrane is desired to be utilized in conjunction with such newly fabricated insulation panels so as to enhance the rigidity, strength, and structural integrity of the composite insulation panels. However, the attachment implement as disclosed within the aforenoted U.S. Pat. No. 5,607,272 is not capable of being utilized in conjunction with such newly fabricated insulation panels because the axial depth of the patented attachment implement is much greater than the thickness dimension of the newly fabricated insulation panels.
Accordingly, if the patented attachment implement was to be utilized in conjunction with the newly fabricated insulation panels, when the lower end portion of the tubular attachment implement is mounted upon the underlying substrate after being driven through the insulation panel, the outer surface portion of the washer plate would be disposed above the outer surface portion of the insulation panel so as not to be capable of either being flush with the outer surface portion of the insulation panel or disposed in a recessed manner with respect to the outer surface portion of the insulation panel whereby the outer coating material is not then capable of being applied over the outer surface portions of the attachment implement washer plate and the insulation panel so as to achieve the aforenoted continuous and seamless finished surface to the building wall or structure. In addition, in view of the fact that the lower end portion of the attachment implement, which is adapted to be seated upon the underlying substrate, has a relatively narrow width dimension and comprises a relatively sharp annular edge or corner region, it has been experienced that when the attachment implement is driven so as to become embedded in the insulation panel, the leading or lower end portion of the attachment implement cuts or tears the membrane thereby jeopardizing or adversely affecting the rigidity, strength, and structural integrity of the composite insulation panel.
A need therefore exists in the art for a new and improved insulation panel attachment implement which comprises an axial stem or protrusion portion which has a relatively small axial length or depth so as to be capable of being used to secure insulation panels having relatively small thickness dimensions, and wherein further, the geometrical configuration of the axial stem or protrusion portion is such as to have rounded contours so as not to tear or cut the external membrane employed in conjunction with the insulation panel while also uniformly distributing the compressive loads over a relatively wide radial expanse in accordance with an optimal distribution pattern so as not to adversely affect the rigidity, strength, and structural integrity of the insulation panel by means of excessive concentrated compressive loading.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved attachment implement for use in connection with the attachment of insulation panels to underlying structural substrates.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved attachment implement for use in connection with the attachment of insulation panels to underlying structural substrates which effectively overcomes the various operational disadvantages and drawbacks characteristic of prior art insulation panel attachment implements.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved attachment implement for use in connection with the attachment of insulation panels to underlying structural substrates which effectively overcomes the various operational disadvantages and drawbacks characteristic of prior art insulation panel attachment implements by providing the attachment implement with a relatively small or shallow axial extent or depth dimension whereby the attachment implement can be utilized in conjunction with newly developed relatively thin, highly dense insulation panels.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved attachment implement for use in connection with the attachment of insulation panels to underlying structural substrates which effectively overcomes the various operational disadvantages and drawbacks characteristic of prior art insulation panel attachment implements by providing the attachment implement with an axial protrusion section which has a round contoured external shape or configuration whereby the attachment implement can be utilized in conjunction with newly developed relatively thin, highly dense insulation panels in view of the fact that the rounded axial protrusion portion of the attachment implement does not tear or cut the external membrane employed in conjunction with the insulation panel, and in addition, the protrusion portion will also uniformly distribute the compressive loads impressed thereon during an installation operation over a relatively wide radial expanse in accordance with an optimal distribution pattern so as not to adversely affect the rigidity, strength, and structural integrity of the insulation panel by means of excessive concentrated compressive loading.
The foregoing and other objectives are achieved in accordance with the teachings and principles of the present invention through the provision of a new and improved insulation panel attachment implement which comprises a washer plate or flanged portion having a predetermined radial expanse for engaging an outer surface of an insulation panel to be secured to an underlying structural substrate, and an axial protrusion portion which is integral with the flanged washer portion and through which the fastener, for fixedly securing the insulation panel to the underlying structural substrate, is adapted to be inserted and retained. The axial extent or depth of the axial protrusion portion is relatively small or shallow so as to permit the attachment implement to be used in securing those insulation panels, which are characterized by means of relatively small thickness dimensions, to underlying structural substrates, and in addition, the protrusion portion has a substantially inverted bell-shaped configuration whereby the rounded contours of such protrusion portion will not cut or tear membranes employed in conjunction with the insulation panels, and still further, can uniformly distribute the compressive loading over a relatively wide expanse so as not to adversely affect the rigidity, strength, and structural integrity of the insulation panel by means of excessive concentrated compressive loading.